Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-15

r,,,,clipV and Growing playing with the
Shadows of the dancing leaves across the bed
and he had Louie's yellow hair and ROSY
chaek and parfect features, her great long
ing blue ewes and Dennis black eyebrows;
III .,.o,.v dax bs orav, dearer and dearer
and mora ina,pr,.ssibly dear. and I said to
myself that much as | missed poor Louie,
here had been made up to me all had
failed OF in NV life; for this child was to
,aka the nlscs IN me of mother and sister
and husband and child altogether. And
the dearer he grew, the more angry be-
came with Dennis for his indifference; and
one day. when the boy WIS about four
months old | said to Dennis:
II think YOU had better let old Nancy
s,me in again and do YOUR hores, the way
she used TO do. and will e. away and take
the baby
Take the baby
Certainly" said. "Y gu can't bear the
sight Of him. and love him. And then II
ever you marry agsin"--
II shall never marry again, he said, the
gloom settling in his eyes.
II don't believe you will!' | exclaimed.
Il don't bsliave there's the woman living
who will ever take such an unnatural,
wickal father for her hubSand! Louie's
own child. too. and the very image OF her
| wonder what she d think OF you! And l
snatched the baby up out OF the cradle,
and ran from the room, lest should break
out crying before his lace.
The next afternoon when Dennis came in
from his work he went and made himself
ali nice. and changed his clothes, and came
down 10 where stood in the side door with
the baby in my arms, looking at the sun
set. And he stOOlsTi 20 tax" the child; and
tho little darling turned, with low, fright
encd cry. and hid his iacs in my neck And
then, all ut once he tea's that hadh ' s'''h
Dennis cry in all this time, glshed out,
an he put his arms around the child, VINO
began 10 scream with terror AMI as L nan
turned and maintained my own hold, he
took him forciblv away from me- Let
go!'' he said, in his low, half smothered
tone. Hes my chilli.
Il suppose he is'' l cried. BY some
wicked form of law, the cruel law that men
mado for men. But you don't deserve him.
You helpel him 10 life, but | should like
TO know how much life be would have now,
il it hal rested with YOU
never Was - angry. | thought would
take my things and go away that moment.
But how could leave the baby His little
screams were ,orturing me then. sat down
on the doorstone and flung my apron over
nv head, and put my thumbs IN my ears,
! and wished the baby and were dead along
with Louie.
Perhaps. it WIS an hour afterwsrd when
| looked up. and there was Dennis coming
! through the orchard with the baby, and the
| boy was growing and jumping and catching
at the bending houGhs, and catching at his
! fathers great mustache. and rubbing his
! little wet lips sil over Dennis face, CHR
| ripping and joyous; and | couldn help 1t, |
ran 20 meet them
| You sse. aid Dennis as he let ME have
| him back, blood rs thicker than water,
| after all
! Oh, what long journey felt "a If that
| baby had been on As took him and could
| hardly have done kissing him.
Come, said Dennis, laughing. leave
| something of him for me.
! 1t WAS the rirst time he had laughed since
| that child was born. And the darling hal
gone q long Journey-a journey into the
| infinite depths OF a father ; heart.
! Well, after that, Dennis couldn't get
| home early enough III the afternoon, and II
seemed aS if he hated to SO away in the
morning, and Sundays he had the baby IN
his arms from morning till night. And III
the evening when sat sewing on the httit
clothes. lie would come ana SIT opposite, oi
where he could see how the work went on
and he brought home all sorts Of little i'm
possible toys, and he talked and sang &c
him, and walkeG with him; anu the baby
began to look out for his coming a muct
| as ! did And all that, OF course, helped
me good deal in my work about the house
, for kept everything as fine and orderly a:
. honeycomb; only, with the baby TO tenc
| and see to, | sometimes had 70 sit up night
to d2 il.
shall call him Louis, for his mother,
I Isi1 Dennis. one night.
Do You think You can bear it, asked
TO hear him called Louls' Yes Ht
is Louie over again, said Dennis.
And couldn't tell You how pleasant life
grew 10 bs as we watched the child grow
unfolding like rose. There WAS Hbso
lutely a sort Of rivalry between ~ present.
as to who should discover his irT tooth
When he took his first step. il was between
Dennis arms aud mine. as We both sat ol
the door And when he spoke his firs
wori. how we listened to learn il il wer'
Dennis name or mine. The day WASH
long enough for us TO watch his dear lowell
ness in And | think Dennis was envlou
OF NE for having him nights; but he couldn
help that.
never shall forget. though. the night th
baby had the Group, and We both hum
over him, fearing every breath would b
the last: and. when ease came, how we boil
broke down and cried together; aud as vi
looked out the window and saw the frs
flush of dawn, and the waning moon snc
the morning star glittering out Of II Will
ineffable brightness; that star seemed TO b
shining on some herald angels forehead.
So time went on; and / thought then
would not be easy 10 see how we could b
happier; for even the memory Of Louie wa
sottened into something that was hardl'
a grief TO US in our love Of her boy, thougi
sometimes ] used to wonder if the little fel
:ow that went with her was as sweet as tn
one that staid with US
But when the dear child was about
years old, there came a snake into Eden
4 Snakei a whole nest o. them! IL seame'